Sharp Tongues and Pigtails
by Sara Jaye
Summary: A series of romantic Serra drabbles.
1. Erk: Days

This is the first in a series of Serra romance drabbles. Like the Priscilla series, these are stand-alone stories bound by nothing other than Serra. :)

*

Contrary to what people assumed, Erk did not hate Serra.

He complained about her, of course. Her personality, her habits, her way of getting under people's skin. Some days, she was so difficult it was easier to tell himself he did hate her.

_"Erk! You're supposed to be guarding me, not chatting it up with that idiot swordsman!" she barked. "I swear, if it wasn't for me you'd be long gone from this outfit with the way you-"_

_"I'm sorry, Guy," he sighed. "The demoness is demanding my undivided attention yet again." Always demanding, always jealous, so childish, how he ever put up with-_

_"_**_Erk!_**_"_

But then there were good days. The days where her presence was a source of comfort, even a lifesaver.

_"Watch out!" The ball of her staff connected with the enemy's head, his body hitting the floor moments later. "Erk, you really should be more careful," she scolded. "Are you all right?"_

_He laughed sheepishly._

_"I was so focused on my target I didn't see what was coming up behind me," he said. "Don't tell me Lord Hector finally got sick of you and sent you out to the front lines!"_

_"Actually, he refused to let me go, but I knew you were in trouble so I did anyway!" she chirped. It was just like her to do what **she** felt was right, not caring what others said, but the fact that she'd done it for his sake touched him..._

_"Don't leave my side, okay?"_

And then, there were the days he found himself _wanting_ to be near her.

"Serra?"

Today was one of them.

"Erk! How sweet of you to seek me out this morning!" she squealed.

"Would you...like to go for a walk with me?" he asked, his face turning as red as his cloak.

She smiled, took his arm, and he realized with a certain dread that he was falling for her.


	2. Oswin: Good Job

People had said much worse to her than Oswin had, but his carefully thought-out constructive criticism cut her more deeply than Hector's rudest insults, or Erk's most sarcastic comments.

She knew why, of course. Because of her feelings for him, feelings she knew were _dumb_ and _girlish_ and _pointless_. Worst of all, she didn't _want_ to get over them.

All she wanted was a kind word from him now and then, a little praise, some sign than he didn't _hate_ her.

"Serra?"

She turned to face him, adding a little emphasis to her already-sincere pout, hoping to arouse a little remorse in him.

"Sorry, didn't mean to slow everyone _down_ again," she muttered. Oswin sighed.

"Listen, about before-"

"No, don't apologize! It's better that I know the truth...that you all hate me," she snapped.

"Serra, if I truly hated you I wouldn't have bothered with the criticism in the first place," he said. "It's because I care that I'm so hard on you. I only want what's best for you."

"You sure have a funny way of showing it! Sending me out to the front lines and not even praising me for coming back unhurt after all that fighting!"

Oswin sighed, and his worn features softened a bit.

"Well...maybe you're right. I did put you in a dangerous position, and I must admit I was worried for you," he said. "You...you did a good job, Serra. This army is lucky to have you along."

She wanted to gloat, wanted to squeal that she _knew_ he couldn't truly hate her after all. But when she opened her mouth to speak all that came out was a sob of relief. His face registered surprise as his arms went to encircle her.

_Curse my silly emotions! Oh, how embarassing this is, a woman of my standing suddenly a blubbering mess!_

But damn it all, she'd never been happier in her entire life than she was at this moment.


	3. Matthew: Cold

He hated to admit it, but sometimes Serra was right.

It wasn't that Hector was one of those cruel, heartless lords who stood by gloating as his vassals suffered, but there were times when he treated Matthew and Serra more like annoying siblings than trusted vassals.

Tonight, he'd stuck them in a tent together with only a few blankets and some firewood. All the way on the other side of the woods. While it was freezing and threatening to rain, even.

"Matthew, I'm cold."

Normally, Matthew would make some joke about her "hourly complaint being on schedule" or that demons shouldn't need heat to stay alive. But the miserable look on her face pretty much mirrored his sentiments.

"Darn that Lord Hector," he said, trying to make a joke of it.

"Isn't he just so cruel? He really should take better care of us...tomorrow, let's you and me have a nice long talk with Lord Hector about proper vassal care!" Serra said.

"For once, you have a good idea," Matthew laughed. "But in the mean time..." He pulled her against him, wrapping them up in the blankets. "And before you ask, I'm just doing this to keep us warm."

Serra smiled, closing her eyes and nestling against his side.

"You're a bad liar, Matthew. I know you care."

He groaned inwardly. _Unfortunately, she's right._


	4. Sain: Intentions

She was no Rebecca, and Sain was definitely not Lowen. And she still stood by her opinion that Sain's flirtatious ways were gross.

But the sight of a man complaining of hunger on patrol aroused a sort of compassion in her. _And if people see me doing something nice for a person I can't stand, they'll see me as the saint I truly am!_

So she arrived at Sain's post, basket in hand and a smile on her face.

"I hope you like pheasant! I couldn't find Kent or Lady Lyndis to ask them what you like, so I had to make a lot of wild guesses," she said. Sain looked genuinely surprised.

"You...actually made me dinner? Why, Sister Serra, the last time we spoke I was led to believe you had quite a bad impression of me!" he said. "And yet, here you are coming to my rescue with food you so lovingly prepared yourself!"

Serra cursed as she actually felt herself blush.

"Well...don't look into it _too_ much, I did it because it's what a good servant of Elimine does, right? Helping my fellow man?" She toyed with the end of her right pigtail. "So you like pheasant, right?"

"It all looks absolutely mouthwatering!" he exclaimed. "I'm truly touched by your generousity!"

"You should be," she said, but before she could blink he was kneeling at her feet, taking her hand in his own.

"A lot of our army speaks so harshly of you, but they clearly don't know the true Sister Serra...a true lady in every sense of the word." He pressed his lips to the back of her hand, and her heart flip-flopped in her chest.

_Damn him and his way with words!_ Serra thought as she felt her alterior motive slipping away.

"Well, enjoy!" she chirped.

"Wait, Serra..." He extended an arm. "At the risk of seeming too forward, would you care to join me? You made more than enough for just one person, and I'd love the company."

Without even thinking, she nodded and sat down beside him in the grass.


	5. Hector: Wedding Nights

"Hey, no fair!" Hector struggled to wrench the sash of his robe from her hands. "You're supposed to be the nervous little virgin who's scared of her first time, and I'm supposed to be the manly stud coaxing you into getting naked!"

"I've played the part of the delicate maiden for _far_ too long," she said.

"Since when?" he grumbled, to which Serra paid no mind.

"And besides," she continued in a singsong voice, "you're so _clueless_ when it comes to romancing sweet little virgins! Someone needs to make sure you do it right!"

Hector sighed. _This is what you signed up for when you fell for her_, he reminded himself. "Fine," he said, "how does a big, clueless oaf like me romance a sweet little virgin like you?"

Serra pulled back, making herself look as shy and innocent as possible.

"Oh, Lord Hector," she crooned, "I'm ever so nervous about showing myself to you..." Then, in her normal voice. "This is where you say something manly and convince me to drop the towel."

"Uh...don't worry, I'm sure you're hotter than the sun under there!" Hector stammered. Serra twirled a section of unbound hair around her finger for a moment.

"Good enough!" She let the towel fall. "Now, after gushing about how pure and beautiful I look-"

"I just did that!"

"Fine, skip it, I'm sure you're thinking it anyway!" she said. "Now, come to me slowly...good, good, now place your hands here..." She shivered as his rough hand covered her breast. "And here-_ahhh!_" Her knees buckled and she glared at him. "Hmph, you said you weren't any good at this-_oooohh!_ you _liar_, you've been-"

"I call no more talk for the rest of the night," he said, crushing his lips to hers before she could protest.


	6. Lucius: Pressure

"No, you're concentrating _too hard!_" she sighed. "See, the orb's glowing red, you're overloading it...here, maybe we'd better rest for a moment."

Lucius brushed his sweaty bangs away from his face and set the staff back down on the table.

"I didn't think it would be this difficult," he sighed. "I apologize, Sister Serra, I fear I've been wasting your time..."

"Well, there are other things I could be doing, but this is more important!" Serra said. "I'm surprised, though. I thought you'd be a natural as soon as you picked up the staff...you have the soul of a healer, I think."

"That's just it!" Lucius blurted out, surprising himself with his abruptness. "I'm sorry, it's just..._everyone_ says that. Lucius, you're such a gentle soul, you'd be such a good healer, you're the male reincarnation of Saint Elimine herself! So why can't I do it?!"

Serra could _feel_ the frustration in his words, remembering her own early days as a sister. The sympathetic _tsks _of her instructors, the other girls' simpering sympathy that felt just _plastic_-when they didn't _taunt_ her, at least.

And Lucius, such a gentle and giving person, always putting others before himself...he didn't deserve the pain and frustration of failure.

"Lucius," she said, "you _are_ a natural healer, and you're going to be wonderful at it. Your problem is you're just being way too hard on yourself and that needs to stop!" She gave him a stern but caring look. "One of the old sisters at the abbey told me just because something's in your nature doesn't mean it happens overnight, and the staff's no exception. Instead of trying harder, you need to relax."

Lucius clasped one of her hands in his own and smiled gratefully.

"You truly are a kindhearted person, Sister Serra, and I'm honored to have you as my staff instructor." He brushed his lips against her cheek, and it was all she could do not to swoon.

He was, after all, still the most beautiful man she'd ever met.


	7. Uther: For Your Health

She found him in his study, poring over his books and paperwork like he _wasn't_ supposed to.

"When the physician tells you to stay in bed, he's not just making _small talk_," Serra grumbled. "Lord Uther, I thought you were smarter and more sensible than this!"

Uther coughed nervously and shoved the paperwork aside. At this point in his life there wasn't much he feared, but the look on his wife's face was one of the few things he did. When Serra was truly angry, she was a force to be reckoned with.

"I apologize, dearest," he said sheepishly. "But these new laws and policies aren't going to make themselves official, and my advisors are already working so hard to do the work I should be doing..."

"Then get Lord Hector in here and make him start pulling his weight!" Serra said.

"Do you honestly think my brother will give up his afternoons in the ring and nights on the town with Farina to sit and do paperwork?"

"Good point." Serra laughed, then became serious again. "But he's going to have to from now on because until your health starts to improve, you're not to even _think_ about paperwork!"

Uther sighed. She still spoke as if there was even a _chance_ at this point even though they both knew the truth.

"Serra, the physician didn't say _not_ to do any paperwork, he just said to stay in bed," he reminded her.

"Well, yeah...but like I always say, better safe than sorry!" she retorted.

"Since when do you say that?"

"Since now!"

Uther groaned, reluctantly getting up from his chair. There was simply no arguing with her when she was this adamant.

"Very well, then." He extended his arm, both as a gentleman and for support. "But you will stay and keep me company, won't you?"

"Of course I will!"

He smiled sadly.

"After my brother, you're the person I will regret leaving behind the most, Serra."

"Don't say such things," she scolded, even as her eyes filled with tears.


	8. Florina: Like a Princess

The water was cool and crisp and felt absolutely _divine _after all that travel, Serra could just_ feel_ the exhaustion being swept away by the current.

"See, Florina? I told you this was just what we needed!" she said. After the group had chosen to stay at castle Pherae for a few days, Serra had practically dragged the pegasus knight to the creek with her for a swim. It was so peaceful at night, with only the stars watching them.

"Serra?" Florina prompted. "I...I just want to thank you, for all you've done for me in recent months. Talking to you...it's made me feel more confident, and you're always so nice to me..."

"While I appreciate the sentiment, you don't need to thank me," Serra said, swimming up behind the other girl and locking her arms around her waist. "You're a beautiful girl, Florina...really special. And any man who can't appreciate that is either dumb or completely insane."

Florina turned around to embrace Serra, enjoying the feel of their bodies pressed so close together with only the thin cloth of their underthings between them.

"Oh, Serra...I could say the same for you," she murmured, moving her hands up to rest on the girl's shoulders. "You're like a princess..."

"Florina, if you continue to flatter me so, I just might fall for you," Serra teased. "Of course...perhaps that's not such a bad idea."

She leaned closer, admiring the growing blush on Florina's face.

"After all, a princess _does_ need a knight."


End file.
